St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-28
WHAT SHALL BELIEVER
The Sermon by Hiss Bartlett at the
FIRST Unitarian.


FIRST Unitarian.
The auditorium of the First Unitarian
church, at Mary Place and Eighth street,
was crowded to its capacity yesterday morn
ing by the announcement that the pulpit
would be occupied by Miss Carrie j. Bart
lett, formerly of this city. Some of the
audience doubtless went 10 observe how a
lady would conduct herself in the sacred
roStrum, but most of the Others were at
tracted by their friendship for the lady her
self. For several years Miss Bartlett was
connected with the Minneapolis press and
within year terminated her journalistic
career to enter the service OF the LORD. She
is now connected with church at Sioux
Falls. Her presence yesterday was natural
and graceful. and she carried herself through
what was really an ordeal with a quiet,
Womanly dignity that was very impressive.
The sermon was rather pleasing than pro-
found and was heard with marked atten-
ton.
The topic was 1.-THE Unity in Variety Of Re-
ligiouS Opinion, and it was treated only with
a view to answering the questions of the hon.
est Searcher after truth, who is nevertheless
disconnected at the variety of opinions held
by those who practice free religious inquiry.
The speaker found the root OF the instifica-
ural to man. If religion be natural it must
embrace the phases which will suit all the va
riouS states and stages OF mankind. Under
the head of natural foods we have what will
nourSh the infant. the adult. the Esquimaux
the Brazihau; and any attempt TO feed the
whole human family on either whale oil or
bananas must fail. The very words, natural
religion, imply something sufficiently crude
sufficiently refined, sufficiently concrete, suffi-
GENTLY abstract to touch the heart and stir
mi.
not signify that there is no absolute and per-
feet trul of which religion is the partaker 1t
simply signifies that the nature of man is not
absolute and perfect, but finite.
In searching there for g standard measure
of truth, the speaker thought we ought to
give the unperverei testimony of our moral
and spiritual sense the same credit which we
give 10 our physical sense. She made illus
lrAtionS to prove that men do not see and
he 81 alike, any more than they believe and
act alike. Yet we never say for that reason
that the physical senses are of no account or
that one mans senses are as much to be
trusted as another. No, we say that the
man whose senses have been the best cuiti-
waited, the most nationally and honestly used,
is the man whose senses are the most to be
trusted. We should admit as much in regard
TO mans higher powers.
This diversity OF opinion never troubles in
any matter except that of religion. We who
use s steam threShing machine are not put to
doubt whether it is a genuine invention of
science, because our neghbor continues to
thresh out his little three-acre crop with 8
fail. We may find that the evolution of re-
ligion corresponds perfectly to all the other
evolutions OF nature. When a species of the
animal kingdom develops from a lower
10 a higher state, it develops
parts and powers, but certain
old and now useless parts are incorporated
into the new species under the name of ''ru-
dimentary organs" The superstition which
engrafts itself upon new religions out of the
old is but mass of these rudimentary Or
gans. Some day the world will be able to
read in them nothing hut the history of re-
ligion's evolution.
1t was maintained that the world is ever
growing better, more reverent, more at one
with itself. The great diversity of opinion
concerns itself chiefly in the realm of specu-
lative philosophy. There never was such
practical unanimty OF all matters essential
to life'S conduct. yet we owe thanks to
the historic church, and should never be
eager to repudlate some old truth Simply be-
cause it has long been incrusted in some old
errors. 1t is no sign of wise freedom or bravery
to throw the pearls we have to swine before
we go searching for new treasure. and the
man who seeks to attain TO advanced relig-
ious truth by any other process than that of
simple right living and spirit of docility to
the inner voice will inevitably run away
from more truth in the creeds at his back
that he will ever be able TO find in the free
held ahead of him.